Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Review

With Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, MachineGames aims to restore the reputation of the cinematic license, which has never been truly outstanding in a videogame format. After the release of Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings in 2009, the franchise has never been seen again, apart from a game that could have been released the same year under the direction of Georges Lucas, but was suddenly canceled.

The curse is about to end for our archaeologist, with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle coming to PC and Xbox Series on December 9, and a PS5 version scheduled for spring 2025, with no further details. Under development for over three years now, the production by MachineGames, known for the successful revival of the Wolfenstein license, will take us on a brand-new adventure set somewhere between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, back in 1937.

And this could be one of the best games of the end of the year, with a passion for Steven Spielberg’s classic trilogy. But of course, as you’ll discover in our review, the title has a certain laborious side that it could have done without.

The Mystery of the Stolen Cat

As mentioned above, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle takes place in 1937. After a tutorial introduction that brilliantly recalls the cult introduction to the first film, Dr. Jones wakes up at the university where he works. The university is attacked in the middle of the night by a mysterious individual, who steals an artifact resembling a mummified cat. From there, our archaeologist embarks on a quest to find out why this ancient mummified cat is so important. The artifact will take our hero to the four corners of the world, where he’ll have to face Nazis in search of the great circle.

In this new adventure, MachineGames’ team has delivered a story very similar to Steven Spielberg’s first three films, with passionate writing. Whether in the generous direction, the in-depth relationships between the characters, or the villain who imposes his presence just like in the other films in the franchise. Frankly, there’s no denying that the storytelling is pretty smooth, with a few delightful twists and turns that keep us hooked all the way to the end credits.

The MachineGames teams have taken care of everything to perfection, and the title never overdoes things. It is clean in its own narrative, without suffering from inconsistencies with the films. The game features new characters from a variety of cultures, and the context, like the historical and infamous characters, is well implemented in the storyline. In addition to the 30s charm, there’s also a well-transcribed pre-war context, along with the folklore of various cultures.

Although the ending is fairly predictable, despite a few well-felt moments of tension, it has to be said that MachineGames has always been able to deliver high-quality storytelling since the Wolfenstein license. Whether it’s developing the few protagonists they introduce in this opus, or even avoiding the trap of bridging the gap between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, at the risk of seeing inconsistencies as we explained above. What’s more, the joy is also evident in the artistic direction, which doesn’t skimp on the variety of environments, taking us to the Himalayas, the Vatican, or Giza, offering breathtaking views.

The Whip and the Riddle

In terms of gameplay, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is not lacking in diversity. First and foremost, the title takes a much more adventure-based approach than action, unlike Uncharted, where the connection could easily have been made. MachineGames’ production will mainly offer exploration, along with puzzles, to solve them, you’ll often have to read notes, which you’ll have to find, or even use the environment and certain objects at your disposal to unlock a mechanism or even put certain elements back in the right order. These puzzles are not really redundant throughout the adventure, as they manage to renew themselves seamlessly, sometimes forcing us to rack our brains.

These puzzles prove to be quite exciting to solve, and the same is true for the platforming phases, even if not everything is perfect, unfortunately. For these sequences, we’ll see Indiana Jones from a TPS perspective, whether clinging to a ledge, progressing, swinging his whip, or simply climbing. At first glance, these passages are rather pleasant, although occasionally frustrating due to their inaccuracy, forcing us to start over on a few hot spots. However, it’s worth mentioning that the stamina bar, which is also needed for gunfights, is used for these specific phases, increasing the sense of tension in these platform sections. But it’s a pity that this only has a limited impact, unless the difficulty level changes things, which was really hard to notice during our test. Having said that, this feature remains welcome, and adds a little spice.

Obviously, infiltration will be one of the key points of the gameplay, but unfortunately it’s only a half-tone. Whether on the main missions or in open areas, you’ll have to keep a low profile sometimes. You can either use your fists to silently eliminate your enemies, or use whatever you can get your hands on as a melee weapon to knock them out more effectively (broomsticks, hammers, sledgehammers, etc.). Silent elimination is quite satisfying at first, but the AI can sometimes be annoying. It can occasionally spot us a little too easily with a system of suspicion then general alert, which automatically forces us to flee and wait for things to settle down if possible. We can also be spotted for no reason at all. The balancing needs to be reviewed, cause it can spoil the game experience for those who like to play it smart.

Of course, going straight for the kill is clearly not recommended, since this isn’t Uncharted. Infiltration will always be the order of the day, and using your firearm or your enemies’ will only be a last resort to get out of dangerous situations. In fact, MachineGames has developed its hand-to-hand combat to a much greater extent. Faced with certain enemies, Indiana can throw classic or charged punches, parry, counter-attack, or dodge. Overall, the feeling works well, it’s rather technical and you’ll often have to dose your blows to do maximum damage, while paying attention to your stamina gauge, which is just as useful for dodging as for hitting or running.

In fact, throughout the adventure, you’ll come across enemies ranging from the smallest to the most powerful, who can take quite a few blows without even flinching. Although the hand-to-hand combat aspect is well designed, it’s still a bit traditional and messy, along with the gunfights which, although they have a good feeling, are still quite basic to say the least. But at the same time, this is not the main focus of Indiana Jones, and we can partly forgive the gameplay’s shortcomings.

Among other mechanics that could do a bit better, though not too bad either, there’s the whip and the wardrobe system. The whip is essential to progress, as well as for self-defense. With this faithful leather weapon, our archaeologist/adventurer can subdue Nazi dogs, disarm or stun opponents, or even knock them down or make them come to him. While this works well in practice, it quickly becomes redundant when you have to fight several enemies after you’ve been spotted, and that’s a real shame. Still, disarming a few Nazis with a whip is pretty cool.

The same goes for disguises, which are clearly under-exploited, and the inventory too. As you make your way through the various open areas, you’ll have to hide from Nazis and Fascists. At certain points in the adventure, you’ll be able to pick up disguises distributed across the open areas, allowing you to go incognito. Of course, if you go into restricted areas, the disguise will be useless. So you’ll have to play it smart. In short, these disguises will only be used to go to specific places, and we’re a long way from what Hitman can offer, which has always exploited this mechanic to the full.

Moreover, it’s easy to change disguises, but these are limited to three per zone each time, which is frustrating because we’d have liked the developers to extend this mechanic, which is actually pretty nice… The same with the inventory, which is difficult to navigate with the keyboard/mouse combo. It’s a safe bet that, with the controller in hand, the experience would be more pleasant, even if the ergonomics aren’t quite up to scratch. Fortunately, navigation is a little smoother on the logbook and quick trip, although the map is sometimes difficult to read. There’s also an excellent healing system, with fruits to collect that restore stamina or increase it temporarily, as well as bandages and cakes that give temporary health.

A Promising Adventure with Minor Stumbles

In case you’re still wondering, Indiana Jones offers an open-zone, activity-based path. In other words, these will give you a choice of main quests to advance the plot, mysteries to uncover, new discoveries (basic collectibles in short) as well as fieldwork acting as secondary missions. You’ll really only have three large open zones, with the other levels being a little smaller and more linear in order to advance the game’s story. This structure is reminiscent of Metro Exodus, which adopted the same principle to a certain extent, and it has to be said that this formula is well implemented and rather brilliant in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

Overall, the level design is well-organized and clean, yet not without its share of confusion. On some missions, it’s easy to get lost. In fact, even with the highest level of guidance, it can be a little confusing. This is a bit of a sticking point, as MachineGames may have forgotten to balance the layout of certain levels and areas, in an attempt to satisfy hardcore gamers. But this doesn’t mean it’s always irritating, as the diversity of zone construction is generally exciting, and offers a little pleasant verticality, creating an entertaining playground for the player, who can approach various situations as he or she sees fit. Even if the priority is to infiltrate rather than to rush headlong.

In addition to these open areas, Indiana Jones can improve his skills with adventure books, which can be found by searching the areas, or purchased at certain locations. Afterward, you’ll need to use your adventure points acquired by taking photos or completing quests, discoveries, or mysteries, to permanently unlock a skill from the book. A little laborious, it’s true, but this skill system is ultimately in line with the game’s tone, encouraging the player to explore in order to collect these famous books and the skills attached to them, thus opening up a few more gameplay possibilities, particularly when it comes to eliminating enemies. On the other hand, most skills remain basic (being more resistant, having extra health or stamina, etc.).

And if we had to nitpick, we’d have to mention the repetition of certain side missions and access to collectibles. In general, you’ll often have to track down missing persons, go to a place where you heard an explosion, or dig up potential treasures. The same goes for the many chests, whose codes you’ll have to find with the help of a few notes found here and there. So it’s blatantly classic, just like certain infiltration or boss phases, which don’t add much new blood after several hours. Nothing to worry about, though, as the gameplay remains sufficiently fun and captivating to ensure a great time.

A Technical Marvel

From a technical point of view, we can only admire the beauty of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. From the character modeling to the various environments we discover throughout the adventure, the whole is truly stunning. Lighting effects and textures are equally impressive, optimization is excellent and flawless, and the well-crafted staging enhances the already insane graphics at every turn. There’s no denying that Machine Games has done a superb job, especially since Harrison Ford has been modeled without the slightest hitch, and is instantly recognizable in his fiery youth.

The game succeeds in making our jaws drop every time. And even if the environments can sometimes be a bit uneven, we can’t help but be amazed at the high level of modeling of each protagonist’s clothing, as well as the faithful reproductions of certain environments. There are just a few pathfinding and collision bugs to be regretted, but on the whole, the technical quality is top-notch.

It’s a fine technical feat, as is the soundtrack, which is a feast for the ears. The voice actors have done an excellent job, delivering the best performances from start to finish. The license’s iconic musical themes are back, in perfect harmony with every moment of the game. Nothing more can be said except that MachineGames’ title has been created with the deepest passion for sound design.

Conclusion

With MachineGames in charge, we’re not surprised by the quality of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. It may not be perfect, with its game design choices sometimes questionable or under-exploited, but we have to admit that this is one of the best Indiana Jones games to date. Not only because of its thrilling new plot, but also because the title displays all the passion this license needs, which hasn’t been exactly pampered in recent years. Most of the gameplay mechanics work well, the exploration is exciting, there’s a wealth of things to do, and the game is a bomb both in terms of graphics and sound. We’re far from a masterpiece, but Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is sure to please both long-time fans and newcomers to single-player adventure games.